State Bracing For Hurricane Irma

Gov. Rick Scott warned Floridians on Tuesday that powerful Hurricane Irma will start impacting the state by the end of the week — it's just not clear where.

“I think right now everybody's got to assume that you're going to get impacted,” Scott said after receiving a 5 p.m. update at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee.

“This is a big storm — 185 mph. And if you look at all the projections, it's not getting smaller, it's getting bigger,” he added.

While commending officials in South Florida for starting to issue evacuation orders and making additional storm preparations, Scott said people will get more direction as the storm nears about where they should travel after evacuating.

The center of the potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm, with 185 mph maximum sustained winds, made landfall right over the small island of Barbuda late Tuesday. It remained on a projected path that would take it just south of the Florida Keys before turning north.

Scott, who had already issued a state of emergency because of the threat of the storm, asked Tuesday for pre-landfall assistance from the federal government, ordered state offices closed on Friday, started to activate members of the Florida National Guard and called for tolls to be lifted statewide to help evacuees.

“They (tolls) will be suspended for the duration of the storm's impacts to Florida,” Scott said in a prepared statement. “Ensuring the safety of Florida families and visitors is our top priority and suspending tolls statewide will help people quickly evacuate and make it easier for all Floridians to access important hurricane supplies to ensure they are fully prepared.”

Scott's comments and directives came as Irma grew into the strongest storm ever recorded by the National Hurricane Center in the Atlantic basin outside of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center said the odds are growing that Irma will directly affect the Florida Keys and portions of the Florida peninsula later in the week and this weekend.

While too soon to estimate the timing and magnitude of the impacts, “Everyone in hurricane-prone areas should ensure that they have their hurricane plan in place,” the center said in Tuesday forecast discussions.

Monroe County already has taken action, mandating tourists leave the Florida Keys on Wednesday. Residents of the Keys must leave on Thursday.

“Now is a good time for tourists and residents to fill their tanks with fuel and complete their evacuation plans,” the county said in a release.

Schools, parks and government offices in Monroe County will also shut down starting Wednesday.

Monroe County's three hospitals — the Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West, Fishermen's Hospital in Marathon and Mariners Hospital in Tavernier — began plans to evacuate patients on Tuesday.

School districts in other counties made plans to close later in the week or were reviewing their options. A number of high school football games were rescheduled from Friday to Thursday. The Florida State League canceled its minor league championship series.

Scott on Tuesday activated 100 members of the Florida National Guard while directing 7,000 more members of the guard to report to duty on Friday. More will be activated over the weekend.

Other preparations Tuesday included:

· The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had search and rescue teams on standby, including members who deployed to Texas for Hurricane Harvey.

· All weight and driver restrictions for highways were lifted to speed water, food, fuel and emergency supplies.

· The American Red Cross established a disaster relief operation in Orlando.

· Scott asked electric utilities to identify staging areas and for updates on all nuclear facilities in the event of a necessary shutdown.

· “By suspending the intrastate movement requirements for the transportation of animals, we can ensure that Floridians and visitors can quickly and safely move their pets and livestock out of harm's way,” Putnam said in a prepared statement.

“As the path of the storm becomes more clearly defined, we will, in consultation with the Senate, make a final decision regarding the status of House committee and subcommittee meetings scheduled for next week,” Corcoran wrote.

“Hurricane Irma currently poses a serious threat to our state, and I encourage all senators and staff to use the next few days to ensure your home and family are prepared,” Negron said in a memo.

On Monday, Scott placed all of Florida under a state of emergency. The declaration was intended to give local governments in the 67 counties time to prepare, the governor's office said.

Hurricane Irma lashed Puerto Rico with heavy rain and powerful winds Wednesday night, leaving nearly 900,000 people without power as authorities struggled to get aid to small Caribbean islands already devastated by the historic storm.

Florida rushed to prepare for a possible direct hit on the Miami area by the Category 5 storm with potentially catastrophic 185 mph winds.

Hurricane Irma's looming arrival is already preventing the Miami Dolphins and Florida International from hosting their respective home openers this weekend, with more changes almost certain to happen in the coming days.

The Dolphins were scheduled to host to Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon; FIU was to host Alcorn State on Saturday night. Officials decided on Tuesday that neither of those games will be played in South Florida, though they may be played elsewhere this weekend.

As Hurricane Irma continues its uncertain path west, Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday the state is taking no chances getting prepared for what has become a massive storm.

Scott has activated 7,000 members of the National Guard and talked to President Trump Monday night, trying to making sure that federal resources now tied up with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey will be available. And state workers dispatched to Texas and Louisiana are on their way home.

Irma has become the most powerful hurricane on record in the Atlantic Ocean, not including the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico. It grew in size and strength Tuesday, and could bring catastrophic life-threatening wind, storm surge and rainfall to portions of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by Wednesday. Irma could also directly affect the remainder of the Bahamas, Cuba, and even portions of Florida later this week and weekend.